In what container to cook jam at home - review and choice of the best option. What kind of container to cook jam in? Which basins and pans are unsuitable for making jam?

Cast iron cookware people have been using it for a long time, from about 4-6 centuries BC. It is difficult to say in which country such utensils first appeared - in North Africa (tajin), and in Central Asia (cauldron for pilaf), and in Europe (cast iron pots), ancient kitchen utensils made of cast iron, cast at approximately the same time, were found. It is reasonable to assume that this utensil became widely used among those peoples who by that time had learned to smelt metal from ore.

Previously, hot food was cooked in clay dishes, but gradually cast iron products replaced it from everyday use, because... cast iron had much better qualities and characteristics than clay. In poor families, cast iron pots were highly valued not so much for the taste of the food cooked in them, but for their beneficial practicality, durability and good quality, which allowed such dishes to be inherited by several generations.

What to cook in cast iron cookware

Any meat, vegetable, mushroom or fish dishes that require long-term heat treatment at low temperatures, all kinds of soups, sauces and cereals are best prepared in cast iron dishes. High taste qualities of dishes prepared in such dishes are obtained due to the special properties of the alloy from which cast iron is made. It consists of iron and carbon with the addition of phosphorus and silicon, which provide it with reduced thermal conductivity, due to which the heating of cast iron cookware occurs gradually and equally over the entire surface of the walls, bottom and lid, this is its advantageous difference from similar cookware made of aluminum, steel or glass Shortly before the end of cooking a dish in a cast iron pan, it should be removed from the heat and left to simmer until cooked - low thermal conductivity does not allow the pan to cool too quickly, so the dish “cooks” under the influence of low temperatures, which has a beneficial effect on the quality of the finished product.

This cookware can be used on any heating elements, including open fire, it is suitable for glass ceramics and induction, and without previously removing the wooden or bakelite handles, it can be safely placed in the oven.

Advantages of cast iron cookware

All kitchen utensils made of cast iron - frying pans, duck pots, cauldrons, cauldrons, roasting pans, saucepans, saucepans, woks - are superior in many qualities to utensils made from any other material, which makes them desirable in every kitchen:

  • Cookware made of cast iron will last longer than any other, it is almost impossible to spoil it. The only possible option for damage is that it can split from a blow or fall from a height onto a stone or other very durable surface, but dishes made of any materials will not withstand such tests;
  • With proper care, the food in this dish does not burn; it only gets better over the years. Before you start cooking, cast iron cookware must be heated well over the fire for at least 3-5 minutes to prevent food from burning;
  • Cookware made of cast iron is wear-resistant and perfectly resists deformation, keeps its shape at any temperature - from the lowest to the highest;
  • The main advantage of this cookware is the delicate and unique taste of the food cooked in it.

Minor Cons

  • It is known that cast iron is quite heavy; it is not easy to cook, for example, a pile of pancakes for a large family, constantly raising and lowering a heavy pancake pan;
  • Cast iron products may rust. To avoid this, wash dishes should be wiped dry or heated over a fire. But if this does happen, you need to carefully scrub the rusty area with a hard brush, and then repeat the procedure for preparing to use new cast-iron cookware (calcinate with salt and grease with oil). Cast iron cookware coated with enamel does not rust, but chips may form on it;
  • Cast iron is afraid of an acidic environment, so you should avoid cooking with it, for example, dishes with tomatoes;
  • It is not recommended to store cooked food in such containers, because... Cast iron strongly absorbs aromas; after cooking, food should be transferred to a container and the dishes should be washed immediately - they are easier to clean when they are hot.

Caring for cast iron cookware

Before the first use, the dishes must be washed with hot water and a sponge to wash away possible residues of grease, which manufacturers can use to treat them to avoid rust. Fry over a fire until the color changes from black to gray, rinse under cold water, put back on the fire, dry and cover with a thick layer of coarse table salt. Continue frying for at least 10 minutes until the salt begins to flutter characteristically, then pour it in and wash the dishes thoroughly again with cold water. Heat again over the fire, remove and while still warm, generously grease with vegetable oil, which will instantly fill the pores. Next, you need to heat it upside down in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for about 3 hours - then the oil will dry and form a strong protective film over the entire surface.

It is recommended to wash cast iron cookware immediately after cooking; then it can be easily washed using a regular kitchen sponge and running hot water. It is very undesirable to use detergents - they wash away the protective fatty film, which will have to be restored using the labor-intensive method described above to avoid food burning.

You won’t be able to clean a new boiler with detergents like enamel cookware. Remaining oil can be removed from the surface, but what about grease that has been absorbed into the pores of cast iron or aluminum? Of course, you shouldn’t abandon this processing method: it is the first stage of the primary preparation of the cauldron. You cannot use modern products that contain substances hazardous to health to wash it. The reason for this is the same high porosity of the walls and bottom of the boiler. Oil can be easily removed from the surface with warm water and harmless laundry soap.

The cauldrons will be ready for use after heat treatment

Now all that remains is to deep clean the aluminum and cast iron cookware. After it, the internal surfaces of kitchen utensils will acquire the properties of a non-stick coating. Boilers cast from cast iron will receive anti-corrosion resistance.

The cauldrons will be ready for use after heat treatment. Its technology is common to both types of cookware, but aluminum should be heated with greater caution. Lightweight cauldrons are not able to withstand the high temperature at which cast iron cauldrons are calcined. This is one of the reasons why you should choose only thick-walled aluminum boilers. Dishes with thin walls are not suitable for cooking over a strong open fire. Its service life is very limited.

Cauldrons must be calcined every time before you start cooking food in them, and not just after purchase. Cast iron utensils are more suitable for extreme conditions of this kind, while aluminum ones are its cheaper analogue.

2 How to prepare a new cauldron

It is better to prepare the cauldron for the first use outdoors, as during this process both smoke and a strong smell appear. Sometimes you have to bake dishes at home. In these cases, it is necessary to ensure intensive ventilation of the room. It is better to warm up the boiler with the hood turned on at full power.

The most popular method of primary cleaning of a cauldron is as follows:

  1. Its walls and bottom are washed with a sponge or soft cloth dipped in soapy water, then the surfaces are wiped dry.
  2. About 1 kg of table salt is poured into the cauldron. It is evenly distributed along the bottom.
  3. The dishes are placed on high heat. It can be calcined in a special oven or fire. At home, the cauldron is heated on a gas stove.
  4. High-temperature treatment of the boiler continues for half an hour. The salt needs to be mixed several times.
  5. After some time, the salt begins to darken. Acting as an absorbent, it absorbs vapors from industrial grease and other substances released from the metal during the calcination of cookware.
  6. After the procedure, remove the cauldron from the heat and add salt. The cooled dishes are washed and dried.
  7. Any vegetable oil is poured into the cauldron. For a small 6-liter boiler, 300 ml of oil is enough, and in a 12-liter boiler you need to pour at least 600-700 ml.
  8. The characteristic smell and the appearance of white smoke above the cauldron signals that the dishes are sufficiently heated. It is heated for about 30 minutes over medium heat, periodically tilting the boiler in one direction or another so that the oil washes all its internal surfaces.
  9. After removing the kitchen utensils from the heat, pour out the oil. The cooled cauldron is washed and dried.

3

The boiler can be cleaned in another way. This method is more suitable for preparing for the first use of aluminum cauldrons. It looks like this:

  • washed and dried dishes are placed in an oven preheated to 180-190°C;
  • after some time, smoke will appear from it (this means that the oil on the walls of the utensil has begun to burn out);
  • if the smoke disappears, the oven can be turned off;
  • The cooled cauldron is washed with warm water;
  • oil or salt is poured into the dried cauldron;
  • The dishes are placed on medium-intensity fire and calcined;
  • then it is washed and dried.

Another way to clean a cauldron is in a preheated oven.

It should be remembered that you cannot wash a hot cauldron with cold water. Sudden temperature changes can cause cracks in cast iron. To dry washed dishes faster, you can warm them up by placing them on low heat.

4 Creating a non-stick coating

After calcination, during which the remains of factory lubricant and accompanying substances burn out on the surface and in the pores of the metal, the cauldron undergoes another treatment. At this stage, its internal surfaces acquire non-stick properties. The procedure is as follows:

  • the dry boiler is generously lubricated with vegetable oil;
  • the dishes are placed on a fabric that absorbs them well;
  • oil drips from the walls are removed;
  • so that its remains can drain, the cauldron is turned upside down;
  • preheat the oven to 180°C;
  • an inverted cauldron is placed in it (it is better to place a tray or lay foil under it);
  • You need to fry the dishes for at least 3 hours.

A kind of film forms on the walls and bottom of the cauldron, which will prevent food from burning. After this treatment, the boiler is ready for first use.

Calcination of the cauldron with oil before each cooking is carried out to restore the non-stick coating. While warming up kitchen utensils, it also performs hygienic tasks: food residues and pathogens that were not washed from the last time are destroyed.

Quince jam with lemon zest

Ingredients

1 kg of quince, 1 kg of sugar, 2–3 g of citric acid, zest of 1 lemon, 1 bag of vanilla sugar.

Cooking method

Wash the quince, remove the core, cut into slices. Pour 500 ml of water into a cauldron, bring to a boil, add sugar, boil the syrup. Add quince, citric acid, cook for 20 minutes, add vanilla sugar and lemon zest, cook for another 5-10 minutes. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Cherry jam with raisins

Ingredients

1 kg of cherries, 50 g of raisins, 1.5 kg of sugar, 5 g of citric acid.

Cooking method

Wash the cherries, remove the pits. Pour 800 ml of water into a cauldron, add sugar, boil the syrup. Place cherries and raisins in boiling syrup and cook for 5-10 minutes. After 3 hours, put the jam on the fire again, cook until the desired thickness and add citric acid a few minutes before it is ready. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Apricot jam with almonds

Ingredients

1 kg apricots, 1 kg sugar, 50 g sweet almonds.

Cooking method

Wash apricots, remove pits. Pour 500 ml of water into a cauldron, add sugar, boil the syrup.

Place apricots in boiling syrup and cook for 10 minutes. Leave for 4-5 hours, add almonds, cook for 15 minutes. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Orange peel jam

Ingredients

1 kg of oranges, 800 g of sugar.

Cooking method

Wash and peel the oranges. Cut the peel.

Pour 500 ml of water into a cauldron, add sugar, boil the syrup, put orange peels in it, bring to a boil. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Vanilla dark grape jam

Ingredients

1 kg of dark grapes, 1–1.5 kg of sugar, 2–3 g of citric acid, vanillin on the tip of a knife.

Cooking method

Wash the grapes and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Pour 800 ml of water into a cauldron, add sugar, boil the syrup. Place the grapes in boiling syrup, bring to a boil, and leave for 5–8 hours.

Add citric acid and vanillin and bring to a boil again. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Pear jam with lemon juice

Ingredients

1 kg of pears, juice of 1 lemon, 0.8–1 kg of sugar.

Cooking method

Wash, peel, core, undamaged ripe pears, cut into small pieces and place in layers in a cauldron, sprinkling each layer with sugar and adding lemon juice.

Remove the pears, bring the resulting juice to a boil, remove the foam and add the pears. Cook for 20–25 minutes. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Melon jam

Ingredients

1 kg melon, 1 kg sugar.

Cooking method

Wash the melon, peel it, cut it into small pieces, put it in an enamel pan and put it in a cold place for 2 hours.

Pour water (800 ml) into a cauldron, add sugar, boil the syrup, put the melon in it and leave for 2 hours. Remove the melon pieces with a slotted spoon and boil the syrup, skimming off the foam that forms during boiling.

Place the melon pieces in boiling syrup and cook until transparent. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Peach jam with apples and nuts

Ingredients

1 kg of peaches, 500 g of sliced ​​apples, 1.5 kg of sugar, 200 g of ground walnut kernels.

Cooking method

Wash the peaches, remove the pits. Pour 500 ml of water into a cauldron, add sugar, boil the syrup, put peaches in it, cook for 5 minutes. Add blanched apples and walnuts and cook for another 15 minutes. Pour the jam into prepared jars and close with sterilized lids.

Lemon jam

Ingredients

1 kg lemons, 1.5 g sugar.

Cooking method

Wash the lemons, cut into thin slices, removing the seeds, put in a cauldron, pour in water (1.2 l) and cook until the peel softens, then remove. Pour 1 kg of sugar into the lemon decoction, boil and add another 300 g of sugar. Cool the resulting syrup, pour it over the lemons, and leave for 24 hours. Place the lemons in a jar. Add the remaining sugar to the syrup and boil. Pour the slightly cooled syrup into jars with lemons and close the lids.

From the book Forest is the Breadwinner author Dubrovin Ivan

JAM How pleasant it is to drink tea with jam on a winter evening! But, as people say: “Prepare the sleigh in the summer and the cart in the winter.” This means that as soon as wild berries begin to ripen in the forest, it’s time to think about making jam. Every housewife knows that there are subtleties here. AND

From the book Eh, Apple! author Plotnikova Zoya Evgenievna

Jam Valuable jam is made from apples of such varieties as Zorka, Ranetka dessert, Dolgo, Ranetka Lisavenko, Nord, Kamyshlovskoe yellow, Repinka Altai, Yantar, Oktyabrskoe, Gornoaltaiskoe and Altai dove, as well as from the fruits of wild apple trees weighing up to

From the book How to prepare confectionery and other flour products, sweet dishes, jam, juices and winter supplies at home author Danilenko Mikhail Pavlovich

JAM Despite the fact that our food industry supplies the population with a large variety of canned berries and fruits, jam, preserves, still every housewife in the summer and autumn, when berries and fruits are available in abundance, can make

From the book Home Canning. Salting. Smoking. Complete encyclopedia author Babkova Olga Viktorovna

Jam To make jam, it is recommended to use special wide copper or brass basins. In addition, jam is also cooked in stainless steel containers, which are considered the most hygienic. Enameled basins and pans are not suitable for this process, since the sugar in

From the book Dishes from a cauldron author Zhuk Svetlana Mikhailovna

Jam Quince jam with lemon zest Ingredients: 1 kg of quince, 1 kg of sugar, 2–3 g of citric acid, zest of 1 lemon, 1 bag of vanilla sugar. Method of preparation Wash the quince, remove the core, cut into slices. Pour 500 ml of water into a cauldron, bring to a boil, add

From the book Canning for Lazy People author Kalinina Alina

Jam When making jam, for every kilogram of fruit or berries, take at least a kilogram (in some cases up to 2 kg) of sugar. You can cook jam not only in sugar, but also in honey, which should be taken in the same quantity as sugar. Or you can take sugar and honey in half.

From the book Recipes with a “secret” author Zvonareva Agafya Tikhonovna

Rose jam 100 g of newly bloomed fragrant roses or rosehip flowers, 100 g of sugar. Trim off the unusable white tips of the petals with scissors. Rinse the remaining well and grind thoroughly with sugar in an enamel pan or porcelain mortar with a wooden

From the book Lula kebab, dolma, baklava and other dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine author collection of recipes

From the book Preserves, jams, jellies, marmalades, marmalades, compotes, confiture author Kashin Sergey Pavlovich

From the book Multicooker - canning. Preserves, compotes, jams author Kashin Sergey Pavlovich

Jam Peach jam with walnuts Ingredients 700 g peaches, 350 g sugar, 100 g walnut kernels, 50 g orange zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Method Wash the peaches, halve them, remove the pits. Each half

From the book Encyclopedia of Home Economics author Polivalina Lyubov Alexandrovna

Jam Chinese apple jam For 1 kg of jam – 450 g of Chinese apples, 575 g of sugar. For apples of the same size and ripeness, remove the sepals and trim the stalks short. Wash the apples, chop them, pour hot water for 4-6 minutes, cool. Drop the cooled apples

From the book Cinderella's Cookbook author Vaksa Olga

Cherry jam For this dish, ask your mother: – 1 kg of cherries. For syrup: – 1 kg of sugar, – 200 g of water, – 1 tsp. tartaric acid. And we will prepare it like this: to prepare this jam, select large, ripe, without wormholes, cherry fruits with dense pulp. Free the berries from

From the book Food in the Countryside author Dubrovin Ivan Ilyich

JAM SWEET APPLE JAM You will need: sugar - 1.5 kg, apples - 1 kg, cinnamon - 0.5 g, citric acid - 1 g. Method of preparation: Peel the apples, cut in half, carefully cut out the core with seeds, omit for 10 minutes in a 0.1% lemon solution

From the book Pancakes are delicious author Kashin Sergey Pavlovich

Jam Jam can be used for fillings, and also served separately for pancakes, pancakes and pancakes. Berries are great for decorating pancakes, rolls and

From the book Bouquet of Tatarstan drinks author Bushkov Ruslan Arkadevich

Jam Jam is a product made from whole or cut into slices fruits and berries, boiled in sugar syrup or with added sugar. By diluting jam with cold boiled water, various fruit drinks, berry and fruit teas and other drinks are made. Jam from

From the book Preparations and pickles author Kizima Galina Alexandrovna

During the ripening season of berries and fruits, many housewives begin to engage in canning. However, not every woman knows in which container it is better to cook jam. After reading this article, you will learn a lot of interesting things on this issue.

Pan or basin?

Many young housewives who have decided to start making homemade food for the first time often have the question: “In which container is it better to cook jam?” As a rule, pots or basins are used for these purposes. Moreover, each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, a saucepan is more convenient to use. In addition, it takes up much less space on the hob or work surface.

The advantage of the basin is its maximally open surface, which provides better evaporation of excess liquid. Thanks to this feature, the jam prepared in it will be thicker. Moreover, the berries or fruits themselves will remain intact.

Preferred container sizes

Those who don’t know what kind of container is best to cook jam in will probably be interested in the fact that it is advisable to do this in a shallow bowl with a flat, wide bottom. Moreover, its volume can vary from two to six liters. It is not recommended to prepare jam in large basins, since many types of berries, including raspberries and strawberries, can squash under their own weight. As a result, you will end up with an unaesthetic boiled mass.

In addition, a container that is too large will take a long time to heat up, resulting in an increase in cooking time and a deterioration in the quality of the final product. Since many types of jam require repeated boiling, the pan used for this purpose must have a lid. It will provide additional protection from dust and insects.

Materials used to make such pans

Modern stores offer a fairly wide range of different containers. Therefore, those who do not know which container is best can mistakenly purchase something that is not exactly what they need. To avoid such troubles, you should first familiarize yourself with the features of a particular material.

Many fruits and berries contain large amounts of organic acids, which serve as a catalyst for corrosion processes. Therefore, special requirements are imposed on the containers used for their preparation. For those who do not know in which container it is better to cook berry jam, we can recommend buying a hygienic enameled or one. However, the first option has a relatively short service life. If you notice that even a small crack has appeared on the surface of the enamel, it is advisable to get rid of such a container.

The most suitable material is considered to be. Basins made from it can be recommended to anyone who cannot decide which vessel is best to cook in. Such containers are resistant to the acids contained in almost all berries and fruits.

What basins and pans are unsuitable for making jam?

Copper containers, which have long been considered the best utensils for home preparation, are not entirely suitable for these purposes. As mentioned above, fruits contain an increased concentration of acids. Recent studies have shown that they are able to dissolve the patina that forms on the surface of pans. Therefore, those who have not yet decided in which container it is better to cook jam should not do it in copper basins.

Aluminum containers are also categorically unsuitable for these purposes. Fruit acid helps to destroy the oxide film formed on the walls of the vessel. As a result of a complex chemical process, aluminum molecules are released, which subsequently end up in the finished product.

After preparing fruit or berry jam, you need to thoroughly wash the pan, rinse it with hot water and dry it thoroughly. If you plan to prepare several batches of product from one type of raw material during the day, then washing the dishes is not necessary.

The enamel container should not be cleaned using harsh chemicals. You need to pour soda into it, add water and boil. After this, it is removed from the stove and left until the morning.

Stainless steel pans are scratch resistant. Therefore, you can use powdered products to wash them. For example, they can be cleaned perfectly with regular salt. It is poured into a dirty container, filled with water, boiled and left for several hours. Then the contaminated areas are treated with a wire brush or hard sponge.

You can remove the remains of burnt jam using the husk. To do this, you need to boil a whole unpeeled onion in a bowl. The unpleasant odor that appears during this procedure disappears very quickly.

In what container should you cook jam so that it doesn’t burn, it turns out tasty, aromatic, healthy and can be stored in the pantry or cellar for a long time?

You need to choose taking into account the material, shape and volume. The type of berries and fruits used for preparations plays an important role in the choice. If different options are suitable for sweet apples, then for currants and cherries with a high acid content you will have to limit yourself to only certain types. Learn the theory to make the right purchase.

Shape and volume of containers for making jam

In large quantities, delicate berries will be crushed, so experienced housewives never prepare 6-10 kg of jam. The more tender the main ingredient, the smaller the portion should be. It is advisable to cook strawberries, wild strawberries and raspberries maximum 2 kg, and apricots, cherries, currants and plums - 3 kg each.

For a small portion of jam, a container with a volume of 4-4.5 liters is enough. If you like to make blanks in large batches, look for a six-liter container. It’s better to spend more time on two batches, but prepare delicious preparations for the winter.

The correct utensils for making jam should be shallow but wide- according to the type of pelvis. In such a container, excess moisture will evaporate faster, and the pieces of fruit will not be damaged, they will warm up evenly and are soaked in sugar syrup. Tall pots and shaped dishes with the bottom and top much narrower than the sides are not suitable.

Lids are not used during the cooking process, but they can be useful at the stage when the berries are covered with sugar or jam for several hours and infused in syrup. But if a suitable container does not have a lid, it doesn’t matter, you can cover it with a towel or choose another lid.

Handles make it easy to turn the jam on the stove and remove it from the oven. If they are not there, then there should be a neck that you can grab with your hands using oven mitts.

Ideal utensil material for jam

When choosing the right container for making jam, it is important to take into account the specifics of the recipe. There are methods of cooking in one step, and there are recipes that require heating three times with infusion in between boiling. If you cannot leave the jam in the bowl overnight, you will have to pour it into a different pan each time.

Copper basin - a classic of the genre

In ancient cookbooks, you most often find recommendations for choosing copper utensils for jam. This was passed down from grandmother to granddaughter. Advantages:

  • Copper has high thermal conductivity, so basins and cups heat up quickly and evenly.
  • It is easier to control the temperature in copper cookware, as it cools quickly after turning down the heat or turning off the stove.
  • Copper has natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties, killing E. coli, salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus even without high temperatures.

However, today they look at copper differently and it is impossible to say that a copper basin is the best choice for preserves and jams. During heat treatment, copper ions react with acids, destroying vitamins. In low-quality kitchen utensils, copper oxides that are hazardous to health may enter the food during cooking.

To prevent oxidation, tinned copper bowls with an internal coating should be used for heat treatment of fruits and berries. Most often used for coating tin- metal to be restored. Not long ago, manufacturers learned to coat copper with stainless steel. This one is not afraid of acids. But all copper products require careful handling and careful washing.

The price for copper basins and cups is several times higher than for similar ones made from other metals. Therefore, it is not advisable to buy copper utensils for making jam. Brass basins made from a copper-zinc alloy are cheaper. If you inherited copper utensils, make sure that the coating is intact and, if necessary, have it repaired.

Stainless steel - a modern approach

Utensils for making jam made of stainless steel meet all safety requirements and are considered the best of all those considered for cherries, currants, apricots, cranberries. Stainless steel is a completely inert material that does not oxidize and does not react with products.

The stainless steel basin is not afraid of contact with acids, so it is suitable for making jam from sour berries and fruits in several stages. You can sprinkle the berries with sugar in it, leaving them in this form for several hours without any risk or fear. Useful substances and vitamins in stainless steel products are more likely to be preserved, but during heat treatment they, of course, partially disappear.

Matte and polished utensils are made from food grade steel. This does not affect consumer properties. A matter of taste. Polished looks stylish, but water stains may remain on the surface if you do not immediately wipe it dry.

It is more important to pay attention to metal thickness, especially in the bottom area. A thin bottom is not suitable for jams and jams, and especially for long-term cooking. The maximum thing you can use thin-walled products for is preparing “five-minute” strawberries, wild strawberries, currants, cherries and other berries that do not require long cooking.

There are basins on sale with a multi-layer bottom made using capsule technology. This bottom consists of several types of metals, which makes heating more uniform, protects against deformation and extends the life of kitchen utensils.

Aluminum - rules of use

It is better not to choose aluminum utensils for making jam, since this metal tends to react with acids and oxidize. This interaction leads to harmful substances entering the product.

However, many housewives cook preserves and jams in aluminum basins, observing the following precautions:

  • Choose aluminum cookware for cooking fruits and berries with low acidity - apples, figs, peaches, cherries, plums.
  • Use aluminum exclusively for stovetop cooking. Cover the berries with sugar and leave to infuse before heating in another pan.
  • Stir the mixture constantly to prevent the contents from burning.
  • Avoid jam recipes that require prolonged heat treatment and thickening.

Review of products from online stores

This short review will help you get a good idea of ​​what the utensils for home-made jams, marmalades, confitures and other fruit and berry sweets for the winter look like.

The stainless steel jam bowl from the French company Mauviel has a bottom diameter of 36 cm, which is ideal for the home kitchen oven. The height of the walls is 12 cm. The inner surface is matte, the outer surface is mirrored. Two comfortable handles. The dish is ideal for jam from cherries, cranberries, currants and other sour berries.

A copper basin with a volume of 4.5 liters is suitable for small portions of fruit and berry preparations. The bottom of the pan is smaller than the diameter of the top, which speeds up boiling, but requires stirring.

The inexpensive Kalitva jam bowl from a domestic manufacturer is made of aluminum. Suitable for quick one-step cooking. Best used for sweet fruits. Volume – 12 liters. Convenient for preparing fruits - washing, cutting, sorting the crop. The large bottom diameter is not suitable for all slabs!

A 3-liter brass basin with a removable wooden handle is suitable for home cooking on any stove except induction. The long handle is convenient for shaking the contents so that the syrup evenly covers the pieces of fruit and berries.

Be sure to check the cost of goods in different stores. Even products with the same article number may have different prices. Products from European manufacturers are always more expensive than domestic and Asian ones. Russian brands have many good offers.

There is no point in buying a special basin if you plan to prepare it once. Using the theoretical knowledge you have acquired, choose in which container it is better to cook the jam from the existing one.